Find your scenario.

FHA goes to 580. Some non-QM lenders go lower with compensating factors (large down payment, strong reserves). Below 500, options narrow significantly — but credit can be repaired in 60–90 days with a structured plan.

Conventional wants 2 years of work history but cares more about consistency than continuity. Returning to the same field after a gap is fine. Career change requires a longer track in the new role. Self-employed gaps need 2 years of returns regardless.

Chapter 7 bankruptcy: 4 years from discharge for Conventional, 2 for FHA/VA. Chapter 13: 2 years from filing if discharged successfully. Foreclosure: 7 years Conventional, 3 FHA. Some non-QM programs don't have waiting periods.

Bank statement loans qualify you on 12–24 months of deposits, no tax returns. Asset depletion loans use your liquid assets as 'income.' Hybrid programs mix W-2 and 1099. The right product exists for almost every income shape — it's a matter of finding it.

Tricky files get pricing penalties — 0.25–0.75% above prime pricing is typical, sometimes more. Rates can be improved later via refinance once the underlying issue resolves (credit improves, gap recedes, etc.).

Generally when you can drop your rate by 0.5%+ AND you'll stay in the home long enough to recoup closing costs. Break-even calc: closing costs ÷ monthly savings = the month you start coming out ahead.

You tell me the rate you'd refinance at. I monitor the market daily. The day pricing hits your target, I call — same day, not next week. Free. No obligation to actually refi with me when it lands.

21–35 days typical for a clean file. Streamline refinances (FHA, VA) can close in 14–21 days because they skip many steps.

Yes. Once you refinance, your old rate is gone. That's why it only makes sense to refi when the new rate is meaningfully better. If your current rate is sub-5%, you almost never want to refi the whole thing — a HELOC for cash needs is usually better.

2–5% of loan amount typical. Can be paid out of pocket or rolled into the new loan (cleaner cash flow, slightly higher rate). We'll run both scenarios so you see the trade.

Depends on your time horizon and local market. In Phoenix metro, breakeven on a typical buy vs rent is usually 4–6 years. Shorter than that, renting often wins after closing costs and selling costs are accounted for.

Take total transaction costs (closing + future selling cost, ~7–9% of price total) divided by monthly equity build + appreciation. Most cases land between 3 and 5 years.

Probably rent. Buying with uncertain timeline is the most common way buyers lose money — selling within 2 years rarely pencils unless the market moves significantly in your favor.

Realistically: 3–5% down + 2–3% closing costs + 2–3 months of reserves after closing. On a $400k purchase, that's roughly $25–45k. Programs that lower down payment requirements don't lower closing costs or reserves.

Maybe, maybe not. Lower rates often correlate with higher prices. If rates drop 1% and prices rise 4%, the buyer who waited typically pays more, not less. Run the actual scenario both ways.

Conventional: 2 years of personal and business tax returns, year-to-date P&L, business license. Bank statement programs: 12–24 months of business or personal bank statements (no returns required). DSCR for investment property: just the lease and the property's appraisal.

Yes. Bank statement loans look at deposits over 12 or 24 months, apply an expense factor (typically 50–75% depending on industry), and use that as qualifying income. No tax returns. Rates are typically 0.5–1.5% higher than Conventional.

Debt Service Coverage Ratio loan. For investment properties only. Qualifies the PROPERTY (not you) — if the rent covers the mortgage payment (DSCR 1.0+), you qualify. Your personal income doesn't matter. Standard for investor purchases.

On Conventional with full documentation: same rate. On bank statement or non-QM products: yes, typically 0.5–1.5% higher. The trade is access — these programs exist because traditional documentation excluded a real category of borrower.

On full-doc loans they reduce qualifying income, which can push you out of approval. On bank statement loans they don't matter — only deposits do. This is the structural reason self-employed borrowers often choose bank statement programs.

Conventional investment loans qualify YOU (income, debt-to-income, reserves). DSCR loans qualify the PROPERTY — if the rent covers the payment, you qualify. No personal income docs. Built specifically for investors.

Yes — most DSCR lenders prefer or require LLC ownership for liability and asset protection. Setting up an LLC is straightforward; we coordinate with your attorney or CPA on structure.

No hard limit. Conventional caps at 10 financed properties; DSCR doesn't have that constraint. Portfolio builders can stack significant numbers of properties under DSCR programs.

20–25% typical for purchases. 25–30% for cash-out refis. Some programs go to 30–35% for sub-1.0 DSCR ratios. Higher than Conventional, but that's the trade for not having to qualify on personal income.

Yes. Up to 75% LTV typical for cash-out on investment property. Common strategy: pull equity from an appreciated rental to fund the down payment on the next acquisition. We can model the math on whether it pencils.